1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to impellers and, more particularly, relates to noiseless impellers and to noiseless impellers having internal heat transfer mechanisms.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Impellets are well known for displacing fluids in either a gaseous or liquid form. The most common impellers for displacing gaseous fluids are fans and blowers illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 1, the typical fan 10 includes a plurality of curved blades 12 mounted on a shaft 14 extending through a circular opening 16 formed in a housing 18 and rotatably mounted in the housing. Upon rotation of the shaft 14, the curved blades 12 draw air or another gas through the housing 18.
Referring to FIG. 2, the typical blower 20 includes a turbine 22 rotatably mounted in a cylindrical housing 24. The turbine 22 draws air or another gas into the housing 24 via apertures formed in the ends 26, and discharges the gas through an outlet 28.
Both the blades of fans and the turbines of blowers operate by colliding with the fluid being displaced and by pushing the fluid to displace it. This type of operation creates turbulence which not only creates unpleasant noise, but which also impedes the movement of the fluid and reduces the overall efficiency of the device.
Impellers of the type described above are often used to force air or another fluid through heating, cooling, heat transfer, or heat dissipation systems. Such systems typically employ heat pipes and/or other heat transfer mechanisms in combination with a separate blower or fan. The use of a separate impeller and heat transfer mechanism necessarily results in a relatively large and complex system which is difficult to install and to service and which is poorly suited for applications in which heat transfer mechanisms must be mounted in small spaces.